Tools

Do you have a garden? Yes! Then among your must-own DIY tools you must be having a collection of shovels. Even if the collection is not so wide, the few essential ones must be your gardening companions and they are curved blade type and the pointed tip shovel. Actually, there are so many varieties of shovels that you may need time to time to fulfill your gardening requirements. If you have recently created a garden at home and now are searching for the essential tools that you should collect, go through the details below. Here we are going to talk about most common shovel types that every gardening lover must have.

Note that, the spades and shovels use to be of various sizes, shapes and they deal with a variety of functions. Some of the most common types that you may need for home improvement tasks or gardening needs are:

Digging Shovels:

Digging shovels, as the name indicates are used to dig the surface. When you want to create a hole in the ground or wish to take soil away from the certain area, the digging shovel can be your best companion to complete the job. These digging shovels can be designed with pointed tips or flat tips. They are often used for law edging, trenching, dividing perennials, cutting small roots, and transplanting. Their handles are usually made up of metal, composite or wood. The pointed digging shovels are used for digging tilled soil whereas the flat tip shovels are useful for hard-packed heavy duty soils.

Trenching Shovels:

These shovels are used for clearing the trenches. They are generally available with a pointed, sharp tip and have square sides so that users can ensure clean digging or trenching. People often use them to remove the plants having deep roots, to create a composite trench and for laying the irrigation pipes.

Scoop Shovels:

These scoop shovels cannot handle the digging job well but yes they are capable enough to move loose materials like stone, grain, snow or coal from one place to another. They are made up of steel scoops and use to be little heavier when compared to the aluminum versions of shovels.

Scarpers:

Scrapers find their usage in cleaning the driveways or roofs by removing accumulated ice. Their structure is inspired from the flat bladed shovels but they are not meant for scooping or digging task; rather they are dedicated for ice removal. Many homeowners also use these scrapers to remove shingles as they have flat blades and work efficiently on the roof area.

Edgers:

Same as scrapers, the edging shovel is a nice landscaping tool and it also finds origin in the flat-bladed shovel. The major application of edgers is to cut the plant roots and other materials so that a neat, flat and nice area can be created in gardens. They help to separate plants from the unwanted offshoots but cannot be used for digging. Their blades are not able to move soil and they must be used carefully.

We discussed the different types of nail guns used in home repair projects. But what about the nails themselves? Did you know there are many types of nail heads to choose form for a woodwork and DIY project?

We will explain in detail each kind of nail head and what type of project you should use each one for:

ROUND HEAD NAIL

This is more of an all-purpose nail head. A round head nail is often used when precision isn’t required. The large, round head creates a larger target for the head of the hammer.

FINISHING NAIL

This type of nail features a small head that will sit flush on the surface of a wall or the piece of wood. You are unlikely to split wood using this type of nail head and you will often see a much more polished finish. This is a good nail head for hanging picture frames in your home.

OVAL HEAD NAIL

This type of nail head is similar to a finishing nail only it features an oval-cut cross center and is even less likely to split the wood.

ROOFING NAIL

A roofing nail is used for attaching asphalt or roof felt on roof. The construction is galvanized to reduce the chance of rust from harsh outdoor weather.

MASONRY NAIL

This type of nail and nail head is made of zinc and is able to penetrate brick and metal. The construction is very hard and thick and features a small head.

DRYWALL NAIL

This nail is specifically used for hanging drywall onto studs and wood frames. The head of the nail does not cut the paper construction of the surface and sits 1-in. deep from the surface.

SIDING NAIL

A siding nail has a galvanized finish for outdoor use to prevent rust. This type of nail head is used to attach siding materials to the wood exterior of a home.

You will use finishing and round head nails for most general home repair projects and woodwork around your home but it is good to know there are better and more-specific types of nails to use for more specialty projects around the house.

There are must-own tools for DIY enthusiasts and one is a nail gun. Home repair projects and woodwork projects will require the use of a nail gun. You want to be sure you own the correct nail gun for the job you are doing.

There are five common types of nail guns and two types of firing mechanisms (dual-contact firing and sequential firing). We will explain each model of nail gun and which one to use for specific home repairs.

FINISHING NAIL GUN

A finishing nail gun is the best all-around nail gun of the five options and the one most amateur handymen will own in their home. A finishing nail gun use nails that are shorter and low-gauge.

You will use this type of nail gun for trim and baseboards as well as cabinetry, moulding and chair rails. The nail gun is available in both cordless and air pressure models.

FRAMING NAIL GUN

This is the most heavy-duty of the five types of nail guns and is often used for construction projects and wood framing. The tool uses much longer and heavier nails and is available with both sequential and dual-contact firing.

ROOFING NAIL GUN

This nail gun uses shorter nails with large heads for siding and roofing materials. The nails are strung on a coil for use. You will find roofing nail guns with both dual-contact and sequential firing mechanisms.

FLOORING NAIL GUN

This is a specialty tool used for tongue-and-groove floorboards. This is a much less manual way to install floor nails and will save your back and knee joints from a lot of pressure during floor installation.

BRAD NAIL GUN

This is the lightest of the models and often used for smaller woodwork projects that require more precision. You will use a brad nail gun for nailing upholstery to wood furniture frames. The nails are very small but do hold strong. You purchase this type of nail gun in cordless models for more convenient use.

SAFETY TIPS FOR NAIL GUNS

Be careful using a nail gun. Wear protective eye gear and be sure to leave your finger off of the trigger of the nail gun until you are ready to press and release the nail into the wood.